Meet the voice of Wildwood boardwalk’s iconic tram car warning

WILDWOOD — Watch the tram car, please. Just reading those words probably takes you right back to the Wildwood boardwalk, where the same female voice has been blaring the same warning over the trams' speakers for more than 45 years.

The vintage recording has become synonymous with summer at the Jersey Shore for countless families. Its unique tone, and the way it tends to skip while the vehicle is in motion, is mimicked daily by passersby and folks who just can't get it out of their heads after leaving the boards.

"You take it for granted, but little kids — their eyes get like saucers. Are you really the voice of the tram car?" said Floss Stingel, a North Wildwood resident who delivered the infamous five words into a tape recorder in 1971.

Stingel's boyfriend at the time owned the tram car operation. She nailed the warning after a few takes at his house, and decades later, that same take is on a loop any time boardwalk visitors need to "watch" for an oncoming tram.

John Gigliotti (Gigi), safety manager, and Floss Stingel on the Wildwood boardwalk (Sightseer)

"If the wind's blowing, I can hear it right outside my house," Stingel said.

While incredibly modest, Stingel understands her voice just may be the most recognizable sound in the entire city of Wildwood, even to folks across the country and beyond. She never expected to continue serving as the voice of the boardwalk in 2017.

Stingel has never been paid for use of her voice. She once attempted to own the rights to the recording, but failed. She does receive free tram tickets, though.

"I hand them out to my friends and relatives," she said.

By the way, Stingel still has the vocal touch. We asked her to repeat the infamous phrase, and it was spot on.